“Chinese Archaeological authorities have just announced a successful excavation of the tomb of the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang underneath the First Emperor Mausoleum in Shaanxi Province of China. Ever since the Mausoleum was discovered and excavated in 1974, only the Terracotta Warriors and some sections of the Mausoleum were properly excavated and showcased, leaving the tomb of the emperor unexcavated.

This is because excavation equipment in the past years was not advanced enough to excavate the tomb without damaging it. To make matters worse, the tomb is surrounded by a river of mercury created by the emperor’s architect since the Ancient Chinese believed that mercury is a mythical substance to achieve immortality. Because of this, it was extremely toxic to come near the tomb. Furthermore, it was recently revealed that there were tons of magical protective enchantments enacted by the Royal Mystics of the First Emperor to protect his tomb from intruders, which would kill anyone trespassing near it in case they managed to overcome the mercury river.

Thanks to the latest advancement in excavation equipment and with the help of the Chinese Society of Mystics, the river of mercury and the protective enchantments were magically removed effectively, and the tomb was excavated safely.

Aside from the perfectly preserved body of the emperor, archaeologists discovered two trillion dollars’ worth of treasure and hundreds of bodies of concubines, servants, and officials whom the Emperor ordered to be buried alive when he died so he could have companions in the afterlife.

This successful excavation is the second archaeological success of China after the rediscovery of the original Heirloom of Seal of the Realm, the most valuable relic in human history in Northern China. The Chinese Government has proudly declared that the tomb will be opened to the public in the next two years - Lotus News”

***

--- somewhere in the Dumas Mountains ---

Date: August 3rd, 2027

With the rainfall and mountain breeze, Tuka sat on the poncho liner laid on the ground, holding her arms and knees tightly.

"I cannot recall the last time I was cold and hot simultaneously," Tuka said.

"Stop complaining," Hodor said. "I swear, your time with the Other Worlders made you soft. You never complained like this before meeting them."

Hearing that comment for the fourth time during this mission, Tuka ignored her father, looming around their tent.

Feeling a drip of water, Tuka adjusted her seating, growing used to the many cracks in the wooden shelter. Around the shelter were the Horgus Boar hides, all designed to help conceal their heat from NATO sensors. From what she understood from her visit to DARPA, because of all the heat-seeking predators in this world, much of the life evolved skin to help protect them from such beasts.

She watched her father dress in Imperial armor. He was working undercover with an informant.

With the construction of a highway through the Dumas Mountains that would allow armor and logistics to pass through, the League had thrown everything it had at this last stand to protect Sadera. From her short time at this camp, she had learned that everyone here knew if they failed, Sadera would fall shortly after, and the rest of the continent would follow.

"How much longer until we are ready?" Tuka asked.

"Tomorrow," Hodor said. "We have to… paint… two more batteries, and everything should be good."

Hodor Marceau then tossed a collar. "Don't forget to wear this. And please act with a more broken spirit. You are a slave; you need to act like it."

Taking the collar, Tuka glared at her father. "I did not sign up for this."

"It was your idea!" Hodor replied.

"Well; you should have said no."

Hodor Marceau shook his head and looked out the tent. "Women, say one thing and mean another."

Tuka put on the collar, a sign showed that she belonged to her father and no one else. It was meant to protect her from unwanted advances. This had been a benefit, allowing her to see, hear, and do things she otherwise wouldn't be able to. She planted one of the NATO markers and spoke with the other slaves while not looking suspicious. This is how they found their primary objective, the Dwarven Door.

The Dumas Mountain Range was filled with dwarven towns and cities, deep underground with a complex tunnel network. Another one appeared when NATO destroyed a tunnel or one of these doors.

It became clear NATO needed to strike at the heart, which required capturing one of these doors. That became another issue as they were hard to find and heavily guarded. If NATO found one and neutralized its defenders, the door would be sealed immediately, and another would pop up somewhere else.

That is why Hodor spent the past few months infiltrating the Imperial ranks. In the past, it might have been impossible to do so; however, with how desperate they needed bodies, they took him in quickly without so much inspection.

Discovering this Imperial base was deemed too much risk for a direct assault. Enemies' defensive batteries, mages, and risk that the dwarves would seal the door again anyway, so their mission was to find all the base defenses for a coordinated airstrike; in confusion, the 101st Airborne will swiftly strike while they capture the tunnel door, preventing its closing.

"Remember your mission?"

"Yes, father," Tuka answered.

"Good," Hodor said. "Remember, I will not be able to help if you get caught. And if he betrays us, you-."

She intentionally cried to make her face look like a mess, giving off this depressing look.

"Stop worrying, dad," Tuka stated, standing up.

Once outside, Tuka followed her father through the base. The base exterior was very concealed thanks to the Ticaret being experts in defensive warfare.

As usual, Tuka saw the three main groups within the Falmart League segregating themselves: the ones loyal to the Empire, the Dark Races, and the Ticaret.

As the two walked through the base, heading to the slave quarters, Tuka could feel the mood in the air. While there's still hope in their eyes, the tension and stress of the war could be felt. Everyone here was tired, hungry, and bloodied. All knowing that any battle could be their last.

To Tuka's surprise, everyone's motivations were different. The Dark Races under Famulis fear that if the Terrans become the dominant power on Falmart, they would be exterminated since the Terrans were pretty much human. Humans and Dark Races never get along with each other for centuries in Uros as two sides wanted the destruction of the other. The Ticaret was here solely for wealth and title. Few thought that their Homeland would be attacked, so they were trying to profit before the war ended.

The Imperials, on the other hand, confused Tuka the most. She still remembered their arrogance of them. A year ago, they thought they could beat the Other Worlders. Even with their inferior technology, they still believed they would win with valor, courage, and ingenuity. All that was done after spending time with them for the past few days. The only reason many of them are here was loyalty to the Empire.

She reached the wash station, where many female slaves washed the soldier's clothing.

"I will be back later," Hodor said. "Good luck."

Taking a deep breath, Tuka entered the wash station and began washing some clothing.

Tuka glanced at all the girls when first arrived. She wanted to communicate with the other slaves, thinking they could help with their mission backed by the promise and prospect of freedom. Her father objected to it instantly.

Apparently, the CIA already tried this, and it backfired completely. One of the slaves sold out an agent, and he was publicly crucified, including all the fifty-eight slaves, to set an example. This fact makes her wonder whether to save these kinds of slaves or just let them die in the crossfire, as they were too broken to be saved.

Looking around, she realized that all the female slaves suddenly had a hint of fear in their eyes. Looking toward the entrance, Tuka noticed a man in armor had just walked in.

The man looked around until his eyes locked with hers. Pushing past the other slaves, he grabbed her arm, stated that she was going with him, and dragged her out of the washing station, ignoring her protest.

After being dragged through the base, Tuka ended up at the officer section. Being tossed into a room, she turned around after hearing the door slammed shut and said, "Could you have been gentler?"

"All you elves are so fragile," the man said. The man turned; a Senior Centurion man named Decius Asellio. She had seen him, and her father spoke; however, this will be the first time they interacted. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Tuka replied. "Are you sure no one will come?"

"No one will dare enter my domain unless it is urgent, and my bodyguard Nesavir here will alarm anyone who is about to enter," Decius said. "Do you have the device?"

Glaring at the Imperial, Tuka reached into her shirt and pulled out a tracking device.

Decius leaned closer with an unimpressed look. "How can something so small do so much?"

"I do not know," Tuka replied. "But do not let its size fool you."

"I have learned not to underestimate anything the Other Worlders have," Decius commented. He then began removing a wall section that led to her objective.

As Tuka headed to the hole, she stopped and looked at the man and asked, "Why are you helping? You do not seem like the type to betray your own people."

"Because I am not," Decius said. With a short silence, he responded, "I defeated many of the enemy’s Outposts and temporarily destroyed their highways(1). Ambushed many of their patrols and successfully prevented them from entering our tunnel network. I even brought down one of their hovering flying ships and captured their pilots(2)."

Listening to this man's accomplishments shocked Tuka. This man clearly found a way to bleed the Terrans. She even developed a spike of anger upon hearing that, realizing he was responsible for killing more people she called comrades.

"Then why?"

"Because I realized none of it mattered," Decius said. "The enemy still controls the sky, their highways will be rebuilt, and when their armored wagons reach the peninsula, it's over. I would have to overrun a hundred Outposts to stop them, which is utterly impossible. Then your father offered me a deal I could not pass."

"That was?"

"The Imperial leadership has gone mad," Decius said. "His eyes are full of hate after your friends massacred his village with their 'aeroplanes.' Even if Sadera falls, he wants to fight to the last man, and I do not want to die in some cave in a lost war.

For my aid, I will get full immunity and my own villa with its own farmland."

Tuks realized that he saw the writing on the wall and set himself up for the future. Maybe worried about future war crimes, but he hoped that the Empress would give him some level of mercy. Whatever his motives were, she had a mission to complete.

Squeezing through the hole, Tuka traveled through the inner defense structure of the mountains, heading to the cliffside of the forest. The space was tight, air struggling to make its way through. The only light came from the cracks in the wall and ceiling.

After what felt like forever, Tuka saw the light at the end of the right path. Once she reached it, she was almost blown away by a sudden gust of wind.

"That was close."

Grabbing the cliffside, Tuka moved along the edge, heading toward the hidden artillery cannon.

She suddenly stopped as her ears heard something. Then a yellow stream passed where she just was.

Realizing what it was, Tuka looked up and saw an orc standing on the cliff edge. A chilling fear swept her body, believing she had been caught. While not as good as Volradens, orcs still possess a superior sense of smell to humans and can easily sniff the scent of anyone near them.

Feeling the breeze press against her skin, Tuka realized she was downwind. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized her scent hadn’t yet reached the sentinel.

Seeing an opportunity to remove a threat, Tuka cast her sleeping spell against the orc.

The orc let out a deep yawn when he noticed a shimmering light. His eyes quickly widened when he saw the spell and Tuka, but it was too late. He quickly fell asleep and fell off the cliff. None of the usual panicking or screaming, just silence as he crashed and landed on the ground.

"That was disgusting and close," Tuka mumbled.

Quickly moving along, she spotted the cannon, covered by the rock, foliage, and, to Tuka’s surprise, sandbags. She assumed they saw NATO using them and adopted the idea, which made sense as it was cheap, simple, and required no real skill, but it came with many benefits.

Tuka peeked up and saw only two enemy soldiers, probably the cannon crew. The tone of their voices showed more delight than concern about their lost comrade - clearly showing the loathing between the factions. They were both talking about the orc, wondering where he had gone. Even poking fun at his potential encounter with the ground down below.

After climbing over the sandbag, Tuka took cover by the cannon. When the two were not looking, she took the tracking chip from her upper shirt and placed it under the cannon, hidden from sight.

Thrilled that her mission was a success, Tuka quickly got out of there, heading back the way she came.

--- Next Day ---

The sudden sound of explosions erupted throughout the base as defensive batteries and barracks were engulfed in flames.

"Right on time," Hodor commented. "Any minute the 101st Airborne will be here."

"Then let's hurry," Tuka said.

Placing an arrow on her bow, Tuka smiled at her father.

Dressed to look like Ticaret archers, the two rushed through the burning camp. Soldiers from the three factions were panicking, putting out fires as senior officers tried to bring order.

She knew that they had a small window to capture the Dwarven Door.

Passing dozens of enemy soldiers, the two reached the door. Seeing that the dwarves guarding the entrance were already closing the door, she knew that had to act now.

Each fired an arrow, killing the two outer guards.

As planned, the two switched to enchanted fire arrows and fired at the ground inside the tunnel. The sudden blast killed the dwarves as they were not prepared for a sudden attack.

"Take the door," Hodor ordered.

Rushing down the path, Tuka slid past the halfway closed doors and fired an arrow, killing a messenger.

"Area secured, father," Tuka reported.

"Now for your American friends to arrive," Hodor said.

Looking outside the tunnel, the sound of rotary aircraft could be heard. The Apache’s quickly conducted a pass over the base, clearing out any remaining threats.

Right behind the attack helicopters were Blackhawks and chinooks.

The two Blackhawks hovered overhead, dropping robes, and allowed soldiers to slide down. The other aircraft provided cover while the ground team set up a landing zone. Inside one of the chinooks, Tuka saw shields, the closest design matching the Alcatris and Elbe Knights. While not expecting native support, she could tell that the Americans really wanted to capture this door.

With US forces landing, Tuka realized the League only had one place to go, the tunnel. "Father, we are going to get overwhelmed. We won’t have enough arrows or mana to hold this tunnel"

"Only for a moment," Hodor said. "Just hold them off until the Americans arrive."

Taking cover behind the door for protection, the sound of gunfire and helicopters echoed throughout the camp. Screaming of soldiers could be heard as they engaged each other.

Quickly aiming her bow, Tuka fired, killing a shirtless man running away from the battle. Others quickly followed behind him as her father killed a man in full armor, hitting the gap between the neck.

More enemy soldiers came down the path, each getting snipped by arrows or killed by magic attacks from the father and daughter duo. It did not take long before they realized that they were being attacked from behind the door.

One of the Imperials stopped the group and attempted to erect a shield wall.

"Father."

"I know. I see it too. Just…"

Hearing voices from behind, Hodor Marceau turned and killed an approaching dwarf.

Seeing that they are about to be overrun, Tuka used her last remaining mana to unleash her Flame Wave toward the enemy position. The blast knocked the unarmored ones to the ground with burns across the bodies. Some of the armored ones had parts of their clothes sung from the hellish fire.

Despite seeing their comrades be struck, the followed-up waves continued to rush toward them.

A flaming Javelin landed between Tuka and the group, stopping them temporarily. Decius slid down the side of the path and cut down a man that stood in his way.

"You all will lay down your blades now or face mine," Decius ordered.

Somewhat surprised by Decius Asellio's sudden appearance alongside his bunny bodyguard Nesavir, Tuka saw a few within the group about to attack, allowing their fear to consume their logic.

Pulling an arrow, Tuka’s headshot one of those men and then appeared from the door with her bow loaded. "Next person who moves dies."

All the men stared at the two, trying to figure out what to do. Tuka assumed it must have been confusing seeing an elf they once thought was a slave and one of their Senior Centurions standing in front of them.

Tuka could feel the tension, feeling the cold sweat flow down her skin as she maintained her aim. Fully knowing that all that needs to happen is one brave man to attack and she would be out of arrows.

After what felt like forever, the sound of Americans approaching could finally be heard. Seeing now that they were surrounded, everyone threw down their weapons and surrendered, allowing Tuka to relax.

Facing the Americans, to Tuka's shock she saw Rangers from Vanguard-2, even First Lieutenant Charlie Johnson. Seeing him, she charged, passing all the detained enemy soldiers and gave him hug. “Johnson! It is great to see you!”

“Wow,” Johnson said. “Nice to see you too Tuka. It has been a bit. It seems like you guys were having fun.” He then looked to Senior Centurion Decius Asellio. “What about him?”

“Him?” Tuka replied. “He is our informant, helping us.

---

After hours of securing the League base, Johnson rallied his Rangers to prepare to invade the tunnels

The 101st has committed an entire Battalion to Operation Downfall with other NATO units acting as a reserve. Two companies from First Battalion, 1st IBCT have already assaulted the lower levels of the tunnel network. Their mission was to destroy the enemy and establish a foothold for further assaults.

For Vanguard-2 and Bozes along with her Rose Knights, their mission was to extract two missing pilots. This so-called informant stated that he arranged for the pilots to be stationed at this underground fort for questioning.

While Johnson did not trust Decius Asellio, his defection had become one of those trends as of late and with Tuka’s backing, he was confident there shouldn’t be any need to worry.

Moving through the dwarven tunnels, Johnson assumed they would be cramped, where he would have to remain crouched most of the way. To his surprise, the pathways were roomy, almost allowing two soldiers to walk side by side. Hodor said it was to allow the larger humanoids to pass through.

Seeing his girlfriend, Bozes Co Palesti holding her nose. He then noticed most of the female Rose Knights doing the same. He asked what was wrong.

“Are you kidding?” Bozes asked. “It smells like a guy’s locker room when you come back from a mission.”

Hearing a few of his younger Rangers laugh, Sergeant First Class Jamal Samaha quieted everyone, reminding them all that their voices echo.

The echoing could not be closer to the truth; however, Johnson did think Samaha was overreacting. Not because he disagreed, because the sound of yelling and gunfire echoing throughout every tunnel, he doubted anyone could hear them unless they were close by. Still, he knew better than to correct one of his Non-commissioned Officers.

“How are our people losing against your kind?” Decius mumbled. “Children with power are all I see.”

“That is a wrong perception, Decius,” Bozes said. “I have seen their war stories in books and their theaters, it is nothing like you have ever seen. That lack of perception is what led the Empire into this foolish war.”

“Interesting response,” Nesavir commented.

“How is that interesting?” Bozes asked, confused by the response from the slave Warrior Bunny.

“Interesting because of your history,” Decius said. “You royal ladies lived, protected behind Sadera city walls. If I recall, all of you were just as supportive of the war as your fathers.

Rumor has it, you never even faced these Other Worlders in battle. They saved you during the Siege of Italica and you ran to them like a child screaming for their mother's milk after Sadera was attacked. Then you lecture all of us for not having the wisdom to get on our knees and surrender as quickly as you did.

“Watch your mouth!” Bozes shouted directly at the bunny. “You know nothing about what we have been through!”

As Johnson listened into the conversation, he noticed that Decius glanced over at him before looking away. Seeing that the topic was heartening and that his girlfriend was about to explode on him for implying that she and her fellow knights were whores. He quickly placed his hand on her shoulder armor to calm her down.

“Enough,” Johnson said. “This is not the time. The only thing that matters right now is the mission or our arrangement is over. After that, we can debate the past.”

After clearing out the entrance to the chamber, securing the area.

Unlike the door that led to the surface which was magically locked and needed a mage to open, the chamber door was not. Johnson assumed that the dwarves never expected anyone to get this far.

Once inside, there were half-made statues on the wall of intricate designs, tall ceilings, and more. Until then, the tunnel and other chambers were just rock, but this looked like it could be a plaza of a town.

“Jesus Christ,” Sergeant Adam Hill mumbled as he looked around the chamber. “How the hell can they do this in such a short period of time.”

“They are dwarves,” Deicus stated. “They are masters of the underground, blacksmithing, and more. Dwarven Mages mostly specialize in ground manipulation magic, carving through the rocks and dirt with little rest. This is their domain.”

“Check it out later,” Johnson said. “This is where the hard part begins. Deicus, where are the prisoners?”

Deicus looked around and then pointed toward the left. “Below that path, it will lead to what your kind calls the Command Center. However, there is a second secret path that will allow you to bypass much of their defenses.”

“Bullshit,” Adams stated. “What do you mean there's a secret path?”

“Dwarves' tunnels are like a spider web,” Deicus replied. “They have main tunnel highways for traffic, however, they like other routes just in case of an attack. Or if they need to move around quicker in case of an emergency and perform ambushes.”

“Classical textbook of insurgency tactics. Tuka, Hodor,” Johnson said. “Can either of you confirm this?”

“I am sorry, Lieutenant,” Hodor said. “We know nothing of dwarves.”

“I do think he is telling the truth, sir,” Bozes said. “I have never been in a dwarven city; however, I recall my bastard of a father did complain many times regarding such things.”

“Well, you've led us this far,” Johnson said. “We go, but no tricks.”

The two teams moved down the tunnel highway. Resistance was far heavier than expected as the enemy was making a strong last stand with various booby traps and ambushes.

After clearing the remaining guards, Vanguard-2 entered another chamber. Johnson was still shocked regarding the detail of these chambers and how complex they were, noting it would take years if not decades to do such a thing on Earth.

“Look,” Bozes said.

Noticing they were on the third level, looking down a middle opening. On the first level were Imperials and Dwarves fighting in melee combat against an Airborne unit and what seemed to be Alcatris Knights.

The issue was that spearmen and archers were on the second level, with two mages striking down on the men below. Johnson noted the two Airborne and one Knight lying dead on the second level, wondering if they got surrounded by ambushed force from those extra tunnels Deicus mentioned.

“Jamal, take your team to the other side,” Johnson said. “I want everyone to line up and catch those bastards in a crossfire. Bozes, Deicus, get to that second level and clear out who we miss. Tuka, Hodor, those guys must have used one of those secret passageways to outflank our guys. Find it before they seal it.”

Everyone left or got into position, preparing to strike. Once the other Ranger team led by Sergeant First Class Jamal Samaha was ready, Johnson gave the order. Five Rangers from both sides of the chamber opened fire, raining bullets down on the unexpected spearmen and archers.

One of the mages was killed from priority fire and a few others died as well from the opening salvo. However, the other mage quickly reacted and created a barrier above them, deflecting some of the bullets.

With a glance, Johnson estimated that they got about a third of the force.

Then out of nowhere, Johnson watched a powerful blast hit the bottom part of the balcony where Samaha’s team was. Part of it collapsed and one of his men nearly fell as a result, only being saved by two other Rangers grabbing him at the last moment.

“Where did that come from?” Asked Sergeant Oka Masaru.

Standing up and leaning over the railing, putting himself in danger, Johnson saw another mage, one that they missed. “Shit.” Taking cover, an arrow hit the railing next to him. “We don’t have a shot.

“Bozes, please tell me you are almost there?”

“Almost, need cover.”

“Rangers, cover fire!”

All ten stood up from their cover and opened fire with everything they had. About a third of their bullets were deflected, however, the others were finding their target. The return fire from the mages was intense with fire spreading everywhere, forcing the Rangers to disengage.

In the meantime, the Imperials engaged the Rangers as Bozes’ knights swiftly flanked the enemy, catching them off guard.

Seeing the opening, Johnson ordered a second attack. Rangers got back into firing position and began picking off targets of interest as the Rose Knights began cutting down what remained.

Being attacked on two fronts, the remaining Imperials did not last long.

“This is Echo-9, requesting identification of who is above us?”

“First Lieutenant Johnson, Vanguard-2,” Johnson replied over his personal radio. “Thought you needed help.”

“Thanks for the cover, this is Second Lieutenant Baker,” Baker said.

“We are on an urgent mission,” Johnson said. “If you can repay the assistance, can your platoon strike the enemy command post?”

“Roger that,” Baker replied. “Once we clear up here, we will assist. Out.”

“Johnson,” Tuka said. “I think we found that tunnel. Come here.”

After getting everyone organized, Johnson met up with the two elves. The two were correct, they found a hidden entrance and to his surprise, the door perfectly blended into the wall. Without it already opened, no one would have noticed it as they passed. This time, the path was tight, only allowing one person through at a time.

“We move. I want a Knight then Rifleman in that order,” Johnson said, wanting a shield in front to protect the rifleman.

As they moved through the passage, their movement was slower than Johnson would have liked. Luckily, they did not face anyone. He could only assume that everyone was elsewhere, trying to repel Lieutenant Baker's assault.

“We have a problem, sir,” Knight Nikolasha Le Mon said. “I have a fork in the road, two new routes.”

Turning to Decius for an answer, Johnson asked, “Which way?”

“Is there a marking with a sideways cross with a horse head?” Decius asked. “The horse head represents the brain, meaning command post.”

“Yes,” Nikolasha said.

Slowly but surely, the unit moved down the passageways. Unlike the previous passageway which was cool and roomy, this was hot and tight. The Knights and Rangers could feel the heat in their armor and vests.

Johnson, conducting a quick glance among everyone under his command to make sure everything was fine, noticed the Warrior Bunny Nesavir. He heard some mumbling by some of his Rangers, stating how strange it was seeing to see a bunny working with the Empire, however, it was clear she was Decius’ slave. But it was clear that this slave was being used for her warrior skill and not for her body. A creature like herself could easily escape as he saw no signs of restraints.

“Nesavir, if you don’t mind, what are you doing here with the Imperials?” Johnson asked. “I don’t recall ever seeing a Warrior Bunny fighting for the Empire before.”

“Excuse me?” Nesavir responded with much confusion. “I do not believe it is your business.”

“She is here because she was assigned to me by her real master,” Decius answered. “The old man did not want to send his sons to war so they sent her. She use to be a top assassin for Queen Tyuule after all.”

“That is because they have my daughter,” Nesavir said. “Decius agreed to assist me in saving my daughter after we are granted asylum.”

The group continued moving down the horse's head path until they reached a small cavern. There were openings lit by fire coming through. Sounds of panicking voices could be heard coming from the other side of the cavern wall.

Without saying a word, Johnson signed to place breaching charges against the walls. He wanted to move in as swiftly and fast as possible, keeping all the momentum on his side.

Once ready, the three small charges exploded, breaking the wall down. The Rangers fired first, killing everyone in sight. The Knights soon followed, charging forward, taking the flanks, and battling the remaining defenders.

Seeing the situation unfold, Johnson ordered Bozes to take command, and that Sergeant First Class Jamal Samaha would support her. Everyone else would go search for the pilots.

"This way," Decius said.

"How do you know?" Johnson asked.

"As I said, I brought the prisoners here," Decius replied. "And how could I forget this place? I hated every moment of it. A warrior's place is on the surface in the open, facing the enemy. Not hiding in the dirt like rats."

Seeing a few dwarven and human Imperialists, Johnson's team engaged them and cleared the area. Once the enemy was neutralized, they entered the room.

This chamber looked ugly, unlike the other highly decorated and well-crafted structures. On both sides of the walls were jail cells. Giving the order, his Rangers began searching for them.

It did not take long until they found the two.

Besides joy, one of the Rangers who found them was horrified. Walking with Decius, Asellio Johnson saw what the Ranger discovered.

The two pilots were alive, however, in horrific conditions. Both had cuts and burns on their bodies. The male pilot's nails were torn apart, his skin darkened with the bruises littering his body, and he seemed to have something wrong with his right eye.

The woman's fingers and her nose seemed broken with a finger clearly sliced off. Bruises all over while unable to stand on her left leg.

As two Rangers helped them up, the female pilot saw Decius, and she weakly shouted. "That bastard!"

Already knowing that it was Decius Asellio who was the one who captured them. When Tuka told him about the agreement, Johnson was forced to rationalize it and not kill the man on the spot. It was easier as there was nothing to visually see. Now, it has proven to be harder to remain rational as he wants nothing but revenge against someone who allowed this to happen to a fellow American.

Putting aside his emotions and opinion, he already decided he would respect the agreement Hodor made. He knew Sharpe had always respected agreements he made with the enemy, even if it would have been justified or given a massive advantage.

"It is ok," Johnson said. "He led us to you. We will deal with him later; right now, we get out. Tuka, Hodor, they are your responsibility. Everyone else, let's get out of here.